RAW Vegan Berry Lemon Cheesecake – you’ll never go back to dairy after this.

Spring has sprung here in New york City, the ice and snow is melting away and the bulbs so frozen and cold in the ground are starting to wake and pop up a plenty all over Central Park and other gardens… this is the time that we thaw out and start to venture outside with a lighter jacket… It’s a new and magical time of the year and for me is metaphorically about trying new things, letting go the old and ‘experimenting’!

So in this new and exciting time I decided to throw my friends a raw food brunch… I invited a few people from my neighborhood, friends, friends of friends and their children too. I made all kinds of dips and raw breads, bliss balls, salads, a lot of sprouting had taken place in the lead up but the clincher was my raw cheesecake seeds and all.

 

Making the Crust

1 1/2 cup of almonds

1/2 cup of desiccated coconut

1/2 cup dates

1 tsp pure vanilla

2 tsp water as a binding agent

Grind the almonds  in a food processor until they are like a fine crumb, then add the dates and continue grinding and finally adding the remaining ingredients until tis mixture is all broken down and you have a moist, sweet base ready for pressing into your 12″ spring form cheesecake pan. press evenly into the bottom of the pan and place in the fridge until you are ready for the finale.

The Filling

4 cups of berries (for this recipe I used Strawberries and Blueberries)

2/3 cups agave syrup

3 cups cashews

3/4 cup of lemon juice

The lemon zest from all lemons

1 cup coconut oil

 

 

ORGANIC RAW OATMEAL SLICE – Heaven sent snack!

ORGANIC RAW OATMEAL SLICE – Heaven sent snack!.

ORGANIC RAW OATMEAL SLICE – Heaven sent snack!

ohhh yummy yummy in my tummy, I cannot tell you how amazing these slices are for any snacking occasion! so staying on the superfood theme… I JUST CAN’T HELP MYSELF! Safe to say that food is a passion of mine and so is feeding people. It was my youngest son’s 3rd birthday yesterday, so we threw a very fabulous superfood brunch playdate. I was so excited about the opportunity to create some treats for the kids that not only fed their little souls but their immune systems. I made these raw oatmeal slices, some of my famous Sophia Bliss Balls, which always go down a treat and a raw blueberry and strawberry cheesecake (purely raw!) I kid you not there was not a crumb left from any little mouths and I rejoiced in knowing that the children (and their parents) had been enriched through food. Happy mums = happy kids!

 

I deliver through experiment my ORGANIC, RAW, SUPERFOOD OATMEAL SLICE.

 

2 cups cashews (or macadamia or nut medley)

1 cup ground oats

1/2 cup lacuma powder

1/2 cup agave 

6 tablespoons organic coconut oil

2tsp pure organic vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberries 

1/2 cup dried apricots (change the dried fruit if you wish)

 

 

Using a food processor grind the nuts to a flour (as fine as you can) as well as the apricots. You can use ground oats or grind them yourself. I used a nut and dried cranberry mix as well as blueberry but you can choose a topping of your choice also, be creative and you can make them different every time, this is the exciting thing! 

To your hearts delight! mix all these enriching ingredients into a mixing bowl and add last the coconut oil, which acts as a binding agent. place in a 12″ tray and press the ingredients down to compact it and then press into the top your blue berries, place into the fridge to set and then after 2 hours you can take out and cut to your desired size, yummmm!!!!!

I hope you enjoy as much as we did! 

 

SUPERFOODS come at me!

SUPERFOODS come at me!.

SUPERFOODS come at me!

SUPERFOOD! WHAT IS IT, WHO NEEDS IT AND HOW DO I GET IT IN ME?

For the past few years now, ‘superfood’ is a term that has been thrown around my table at home, out in restaurants, in my friends homes and on TV, in magazines, newspapers, blogs, health forums, you name it… I hear it everywhere! So why is it that we are now drawn towards these so called ‘super’ foods? and what are they?

What are they? 

By definition, these food groups are low in calories and packed with a nutrient punch. Most importantly these food groups that fall under the ‘super’ banner are natural, in other words, man cannot make these nutrient rich foods. There is actually no specific or legal term to describe super foods… however these natural food groups are rich in contributing good health – who doesn’t want to be healthy!?

How do they benefit you?

There are green, fruit & nut, bee, seaweed and herb superfood groups that we can include in our daily diets that actually stimulate our muscular skeletal system, our nervous system, contribute to brain health, burn fat, heal the body, antioxidise the body and much more!

It’s all part and parcel to a healthier and brighter inside to your being and just knowing that makes me feel better!

The top must have SUPERFOODS are… (organic ones!)

Avocado’s – Loaded with healthy fats, omega 9, improves blood vessel health and seeds up your metabolism.

Berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, Goji berries) contain an anti pain compound, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions.

Leafy Greens (Broccoli, Kale, Spinach, Rocket, Wheat Grass) to help cleanse the blood and have allot of calcium and magnesium for healthy bones

Quinoa – Packed full of all 9 essential amino acids the body can’t produce on it’s own, also packed with concentrated proteins

Watermelon – Is very high in vitamins A & C and can lower blood pressure as well as reduce the risk of heart decease.

Salmon – Is super high in omega 3, which may help to reduce the risks of heart disease and it can also assist the skin with sun damage.

Nuts and Seed, Lentils and Beans – all high in protein for the body, folate, magnesium and lowers the risk of cholesterol.

coconuts and much much more…

A superfood breakfast that I do make in a big batch is Brown Rice, Quinoa and Porridge! I have made this for most of my friends and I actually first had a version of this at the Daylesford Yoga Retreat. It was so incredibly delicious that I experimented with what I had in my cupboard and have come to my own creation of a very special superfood breakfast!

Brown Rice & Quinoa Porridge with fruits, seeds and spice – oh my!

Brown Rice – 2 cups (you could also use pearl barley)

Quinoa – 1 cup

Water – 4 cups

Chia Seeds & Flax Seeds – 2 tblsp each

Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, pecans) – 1/2 cup

Cinnamon – 1 whole stick

All Spice – 1 tblsp

Goji Berries – 1/4 cup

Dried or raw figs – 4

Apricots – 5

Apples or Pear or Banana (or all) chopped – 1 cup

Almond Milk – 1.5 cups

add all the ingredients into a solid pot or slow cooker and allow the mixture to soak for a few hours… it takes 5 minutes to put the ingredients into a pot and put the lid on. If you make it before bed, then you can place over a medium flame for 30 minutes in the morning (until the rice and grain is cooked through)… as the water starts to get soaked up into the rice, add Almond milk to the mixture and watch your beautiful rich superfood turn into an incredibly aromatic porridge.

To finish, add some blue berries and some grated coconut with cranberries – simply AMAZING!!

yummy in your tummy,
good for all people, gluten free, vegan, allergy prone and humans in general – Super Breakfast

Raw Beet & Rocket salad, with goats cheese and pine nuts!

Raw Beet & Rocket salad, with goats cheese and pine nuts!.

Raw Beet & Rocket salad, with goats cheese and pine nuts!

oh yes! say hello to health… beetroot salad is one of my all time favourites! and this experiment is just shaking up what you would normally consider, when ordering the likes of a beetroot salad. 

I am a fan of eating vegetables raw and if I can try new ways of experimenting with nutrition packed living food, I will!

This is one of the easiest recipes I have up my sleeve and I will also share with you, my delicious homemade recipe for ‘french vinaigrette’, one from my great grandmother! 

Its a perfect lunch, snack or side and I can’t wait to make this again!

Beet Salad

Using a medium sized beetroot, slice the whole lot as thin as you can with a sharp knife or peeler, add to medium bowl.

Add 2 handfuls of rocket and 2 tablespoons of crumbled goats cheese (crumble by hand)

A sprinkle of pine nuts and pour over your vinaigrette

Optional to add some chia seeds here also, for more added goodness.

Vinaigrette recipe (as old as the hills!)

2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil (you can use olive oil)

1 tablespoon of White wine vinegar 

pinch of salt & pepper

mince half a clove of garlic and add

1 teaspoon of dijon mustard

shake well! this will keep in the fridge also – so it’s always a great idea to make more.

also find out more about the health benefits of flaxseed oil – especially for growing brains! A rich source of healing compounds, flaxseed has been cultivated for more than 7000 years. First cultivated in Europe, the plant’s brown seeds were regularly used to prepare balms for inflamed skin and healing slurries for constipation. Rich in essential fatty acids, or EFAs, flaxseed oil is used to prevent and treat heart disease and to relieve a variety of inflammatory disorders and hormone-related problems, including infertility.

lunch, dinner, snack or side

 

Pre-empting spring!

It’s been a long, cold wet and windy winter where we live here in country of Victoria, just outside of Melbourne. Alas we have kept warm, by building a beautiful vegetable garden and planting fruit trees, ready for spring! 

I for one have been pre-empting spring for 4 months, I love all the bulbs that come into bloom, the daffodils and the wild flowers that carpet the roadsides, the green of winters wet weather bursts into colour… and all I can think about is colourful food!

As the air warms up, so does our metabolism and we start to look for lighter, healthier eats, yes in preparation for wearing less… hibernation is over folks! the lambs are jumping in the paddocks and the baby birds are learning to fly, I love the change in the air!

So I have been busy experimenting with delicious spring veg with fresh herbs… all from the garden and the local farmers markets, a touch of spring to colour your next dish perhaps. I say confidently that this is good with any meal or as a main also if you are seeking something vegan-esk. 

Chop all the vegetables roughly the same size  (medium pieces) to ensure even cooking time, I added the following for maximum colour;

Button Squash, Zucchini (Courgette), Sweet Potato (Kumera), spanish onion, Beetroot, Whole Garlic cloves, Carrots.

Simple Instructions; season with salt and pepper, finely chop the rosemary, sage, oregano herbs and sprinkle over the top, a good lug of olive oil or gee and toss the herbs through, then half a cup of water.

Place into a heated oven 180 degrees and allow 45 minutes cooking time. Turn once at 25 minutes.

The herbs really make this dish, you can then add an optional dollop of sour cream onto! 

Walnut snacks – Natural candied walnuts

Welcome to the daily grind! trying to feed your kids healthy and kid friendly snacks! Who said this was easy? I envy mothers who say, ‘my child eats all their vegetables’, you would think that mine would as that is my staple diet but no… it’s not that easy and they are all different, even if you have one child that does eat their veg, it’s a sure mechanic that the other will not!

In my dying need to continuously try and find a healthy snack alternative for my 2 very active boys, I have come up with this little beauty!

Candied walnuts – with Miso, Agave syrup and sesame seeds and that is it!

Take a cup of walnuts and pour into a warm pan over the stove

Add 1 tablespoon of miso and a tablespoon of agave syrup in the pan and mix through the walnuts until they are evenly coated.

this takes no more that 4 minutes…

then roll the walnuts in the sesame seeds an place on a plate and put hem in the fridge for 10 minutes! eh voila!

DELICIOUS AND EASY!

RAW FOOD WEEK

RAW FOOD WEEK.